


Flowers in the Window

by argentress



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, Fluff, I'm a lovey dovey bitch and I won't be contained, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-04 20:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18820102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argentress/pseuds/argentress
Summary: The au of an au that nobody asked for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Except maybe Ezra. And me.

Jos liked flowers.

They were soft, but resilient, cheerful and unassuming. They didn’t make comments about how tired she looked when she didn’t put on mascara, or look at her with wide eyes when she flipped her hair from one shoulder to the other, exposing the shorn scalp on either side. They didn’t call her tattoos “loud” or gauged ears “unique,” they offered only silence and solace. Jos hadn’t planned on being a florist, hadn’t even planned on owning her own business, but from the first time she set foot in bloom, it had felt like home. And she hadn’t been willing to give that up.

It’d been two years since Mrs. Wallace died, since a single line on a document she’d never seen had changed her life. She’d always looked up to the older woman as a sort of stand-in mother, particularly since her own mother was half a continent away, but it had still never occurred to her how much _she’d_ seen Jos as a stand-in daughter. With no husband or children of her own it had all gone to Jos after her death, and following a two-week closure to get everything in order, Jos had walked into a shop that belonged solely to her.

Suddenly her dad’s insistence that there wasn’t a life to be made in arranging flowers had become laughable.

Jos had watched the neighborhood change over the last few years, watched shops come and go, as the small town’s residents cycled through. Each fall a new crop of college students would show up, and Jos memorized each of their faces as they walked through her door, waiting for the day she’d make them leis and congratulatory bouquets. Sometimes her neighbors were friendly, like the café three doors down who’d brought her a warm butter croissant their opening day, and sometimes they coexisted in a state of quiet respect, never really interacting, but exchanging a quick nod in passing. The tattoo shop next door had always been the latter, both of them circling around each other in their own, very different little worlds. Until they’d suddenly collided in to each other.

\----

Unlike most of the world, Jos loved Mondays. They were usually her quietest days in the shop, when she wasn’t bogged down by orders, and could take the time to create whatever she wanted. She had a few regulars who stopped by each time, picking up a bouquet to brighten their week, and Jos anticipated their smiling faces. By now she hardly had to think as she walked around the shop, pulling flowers as she passed, already knowing how they would be arranged in her head. Once her hands were full she’d tie a quick ribbon around them, dipping behind the counter and into the storeroom to grab a vase. When she returned there was a girl about her age in the shop, peering over the peonies.

“Good morning.” Jos called lightly, already scooping up the waiting bouquet and sliding it into the vase.

The other girl startled before turning, her hands clasped behind her back. “Good morning.”

Jos gave her a warm smile. “First time in bloom? Can I help you find anything?”

“Um, yes. I mean, no.” The girl shook her head softly, before bringing a hand to her forehead, exasperated. “Sorry. Yes, it’s my first time here; no, I don’t need any help. I’m just… looking.”

“Sure, no problem. Let me know if you need me.” She returned to the bouquet, smiling.

Once the balance of the flowers satisfied her, she brought the discarded ribbon to the neck of the vase, tying a well-practiced bow. She carefully placed the bouquet in one of the large display cases, before moving back behind the counter. While booting up the computer she took her time glancing over the other girl. Her black jeans were lightly faded and ripped at the knees, Jos guessed from repeated washing rather than manufacturing, and the floral Vans on her feet were scuffed and well worn. Her white and black striped shirt was buttoned almost to her throat, and the short sleeves showed off a collection of black, geometric tattoos.

The bands around her left arm were the most striking, varying in thickness and spaced out from her wrist to above her elbow. Jos wondered if they meant something, or if the other girl just liked the way they looked. She had always been someone who could appreciate tattoos simply for the artistry behind them, but understood wanting them to have meaning. They were going to be on your body forever, after all. There was another collection of shapes on her right forearm that Jos couldn’t quite make out, and she secretly hoped the other girl would approach the counter, so she could get a better look. She got her wish.

“I’m Tyler, by the way. I work next door, at the tattoo shop.” The girl, Tyler, held out her hand and Jos shook it softly.

“I’m Jos. Nice to meet you neighbor.” Jos gave her another warm smile, which Tyler quickly returned, her cheeks a delicate pink.

“Do you, own this place?” Tyler gestured around the shop, before stuffing her hands in her pockets.

“Yep, little over two years. The previous owner, Mrs. Wallace, opened it back in 1976. That’s her, over there.” Jos tipped her head toward the framed photo on the wall, a small collection of lilies, the older woman’s favorite flower, arranged beneath it.

Tyler wandered slowly over to it, looking over the picture as a small smile crept over her face. “She looks kind.”

“She was. I started working here when I was in college and she practically adopted me. Taught me everything I know, always so patient. Never had a bad word to say about anyone.” Jos felt her words catch in her throat and stopped.

Tyler notices, turning to look at her with understanding in her eyes. Jos likes it more than the pity she usually receives. “You miss her.”

“Yeah, I do.” Her smile is shaky, but still there, and Tyler returns it. “Anyway, how long have you been next door?”

“Just a week. It was supposed to be a guest spot, but one of the guys quit so Mark offered me the station. I’d been wanting an excuse to leave my old shop so…” Tyler walks back over to the counter, leaning her hip against it and crossing her arms as she shrugs.

“So you just picked up your life and moved? Wow.” Jos can’t help looking impressed, and Tyler laughs.

“Yeah, well. Never underestimate my desire to escape a bad situation.”

“Oh, sorry.”

The other girl shrugs again before continuing. “It’s whatever. The guys here are great, they don’t treat me like I’m invading their space, and so far it seems like I could survive on college walk-ins alone.”

Jos laughs. “Yeah, that draw to get a tattoo with your first taste of freedom is hard to ignore.”

Tyler joins her. “Exactly.”

They’re quiet for a moment, staring at each other with smiles on their faces, and Jos takes note of the kindness in Tyler’s eyes. A warmth blooms from the tips of her toes and travels up to her cheeks, a soft blush breaking out over her freckles. She can’t help hoping this isn’t the only time Tyler will stop by the shop.

“Anyway, I should get back.” Tyler gestures with a thumb over her shoulder to the shop next door. “I have a client at 10:00.”

“Oh, sure.” Jos smiles, before a thought occurs to her and she holds up a finger. “Hey, hold on one second.”

She slips out from behind the counter, heading for a bunch of bright yellow flowers and picking out a handful. After wrapping a piece of brown butcher paper around them she ties a perfect matching yellow bow, and holds them out to the other girl. “Daffodils, for new beginnings.”

Tyler smiles and reaches for them shyly, glancing down at them before meeting Jos’ eyes. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Jos returns the smile. “Feel free to stop by any time.”

With a small “thanks” and a wave Tyler disappears out the front door, and Jos thinks it might be her favorite Monday in the history of Mondays.

\----

Tyler can’t stop glancing at the spot of yellow in her otherwise monochrome workspace. Jos’ daffodils are in a mason jar in the corner of her counter, just at the edge of her peripheral vision, and every time they peek into view Tyler can’t help turning to look at them fully. Each time she thinks of pink curls and freckled cheeks, and can feel that same, stupid smile inching out over her face. The boys are starting to notice, and Tyler tries to focus on the design in front of her. It’s the first, large, custom piece she’s gotten to do since joining Idle Hands’ staff, and the last thing she should be is distracted.

“Tyler?” She glances up at her name, noticing the young man standing at the front counter with their shop manager, Dan. “Jason’s here for you.”

“Sure, come on back.” Tyler motions with a wave, a smile on her face.

Her client’s not much older than her, and Tyler appreciates the easy camaraderie that comes with their similar experiences. She’s not really one to talk while working, offering short responses that keep the conversation going, but focused on her client. Once and a while they’ll fall into blissful, mutual silence, and those are the clients Tyler likes the most. The loud hum of the needle becomes almost hypnotic, and Tyler experiences a laser focus she can never find anywhere else. Today is one of those lucky days, and their conversation ceases as the client slips headphones into his ears.

It’s a long session, and Tyler lets her mind wander. She wonders what Jos is doing right now, if the shop is busy, or as quiet as it was this morning. Maybe she listens to music, or weaves in between the flowers, humming to herself. Tyler wonders if she has a favorite flower, or a favorite bouquet, a request that she’s always happy to make. She wonders if she always wanted to be a florist, or if old Mrs. Wallace had been the start of that dream. Tyler wonders why she offered her the daffodils, without any thought of payment.

Tyler loves tattooing. She’s been drawing for as long as she can remember, filling sketch books with penciled lines and smudged shadows, but nothing has ever felt quite like having a tattoo machine in her hand. Each time she presses a design into skin it feels like a gift, and watching her art move and breathe with a life of its own on someone’s skin is its own kind of magic. She doesn’t take for granted the trust people put in her every day. She may be only a brief part of their lives, but her art will be with them forever.

On her lunch she wanders down to the café, glancing in the windows of bloom as she passes. Jos is behind the counter, wrapping up another bouquet and smiling at the older woman in front of her. There’s a daisy stuck behind her ear, and Tyler swallows thickly as she catches sight of it. It practically glows against the soft pink waves, and Tyler has to tear her eyes away. She spends a full five minutes staring at the café’s menu hanging above the counter, not really seeing it, before making her order and heading back to the shop.

Mark stops by the back room as she eats, dropping heavily into a chair and sighing. “Mondays dude. The worst.”

Tyler shrugs, swallowing a bite of sandwich before answering. “They’re not all bad.”

“Oh really?” Mark glances over at her, a questioning smile on his face.

Tyler blushes, cursing her body’s betrayal. “Sometimes they’re okay. Sometimes—“

“You get flowers from the girl next door?” Mark laughs as she swallows audibly. “I’m just kidding. Although, that’s only the second bouquet from her to come through our door.”

“Yeah?” Tyler glances up from her sandwich, surprise clear on her face.

“Yeah. She brought us a bouquet the week she re-opened, after the old owner died. Said she wanted to introduce herself officially and offer her services if we ever wanted fresh flowers for the shop. Seemed nice enough.”

“Mhmm.” Tyler nods and takes another bite of her sandwich, trying not to give anything away.

“We’ve had some clients bring in her flowers for references. Damn convenient having her next door, if you ask me.”

Mark is their resident realism artist, and Tyler has seen framed photos of some of his floral tattoos around his station. They suddenly have more meaning, knowing they’re Jos’ flowers, and Tyler can’t help wondering again. What Jos thought of the requests, if the clients went back and showed her the tattoos, if she got that small smile on her face as she touched their skin, expecting petal-like softness. She can feel her cheeks heating up again and takes another bite of sandwich. If Mark notices he doesn’t comment.

“Alright, enjoy your break dude.” He heads out the door, stopping to poke his head back in with a wicked grin on his face. “Say hi to the flower girl for me.”

Tyler glares at him as he walks away laughing, but already thinking about when she can see “the flower girl” next.

\----

On Friday Jos exits the café, coffee in hand, to find Tyler waiting outside the shop. Her hands are stuffed in the pockets of her windbreaker, and her long, dark hair drifts across her face in the early morning breeze. Jos’ hands practically twitch at the sudden and overwhelming need to brush the strands of hair over the other girl’s ear. Instead she smiles and calls out “good morning,” quickening her pace until she catches up to the other girl. Tyler greets her with a warm smile.

They both shuffle into the shop, a wave of warm air hitting them once the door opens. Jos deposits her jacket on the hook behind the counter, after flicking on all the lights. Tyler follows behind her silently, pushing up the sleeves of her windbreaker at the sudden change in temperature. Jos takes note of another set of symbols on the outside of her wrist that she missed the first time the other girl was in the shop. Someday she’s going to have to ask about all of them.

Tyler doesn’t seem to be in any hurry, so Jos takes a second to turn on the computer before grabbing her cup and taking another sip. Feeling adequately settled in she turns to find the other girl already among the flowers, her eyes searching for something. Jos takes a seat on the stool behind the counter, cupping her coffee between her hands as she takes another sip, watching the dark head of hair bobbing along between the bursts of color.

“Looking for something today?”

Tyler glances up at her, her lip caught between her teeth in concentration, and nods. “Mark has a client coming in who wants tulips, and he asked me to grab some for him.”

“They’re about 20 feet to your left.” Jos points across the shop, and Tyler follows her finger. “Mark’s the owner right?”

“Yeah. We grew up together in Columbus, before he moved out here for school and never came back. He offered me a spot when he opened a few years ago, but I was still in my apprenticeship and couldn’t leave. He’s been trying to get me to guest ever since. I lucked out when his other artist quit.” Jos watches as she selects one pink and one yellow tulip, her hand hovering over the orange.

“Wait, you’re from Columbus?” The other girl nods at Jos’ question. “No kidding, me too.”

“Really?” Tyler turns to face her now, surprise clear in her eyes.

“Yeah, born and raised. My parents and siblings are still out there. I’m the only one smart enough to escape the snow.” Jos laughs.

“Don’t you kind of miss it though?” Tyler’s got a knowing smile on her face, and Jos feels that warmth deep down in her bones again.

“I mean, yeah. It still feels weird not to have a white December, and I’ve been here for over ten years now. But I do love the sunshine.”

“Yeah, fair bit of that, I can tell.”

Jos laughs again and Tyler smiles as she makes her way up to the counter. She holds out the three flowers and Jos takes them softly, pulling out another piece of ribbon, pink this time, and tying another bow. When she tries to hand them back to the other girl Tyler has her hand in her back pocket, reaching for her wallet. Jos waves her off and thrusts the flowers forward more insistently.

“Don’t worry about it, just take them. Tell Mark to make something beautiful with them.” A blush breaks out over Tyler’s cheeks, mirroring her own.

“Thanks.” The word is quiet, and the other girl’s fingers brush softly over hers during the exchange. Jos feels it like a shock through her whole hand.

Tyler glances down at the flowers shyly, before speaking again. “So what are you working on today?”

“A couple birthday bouquets, some succulent centerpieces for an event this weekend…” Jos trails off, thinking. “I have an appointment this afternoon for a prom consultation.”

“Already? Isn’t that usually like, a month away?”

“Well, as the only shop in town I get a fair bit of business every year.” Jos adjusts the imaginary tie hanging down over her t-shirt, raising an eyebrow in Tyler’s direction. It elicits the laugh she was hoping for.

“Of course, so sorry. Should have known I was in the presence of the town’s most beloved florist.”

“Beloved and prestigious.”

“You’re right, the town’s most beloved and prestigious florist. My mistake.” They both devolve into laughs and Jos doesn’t think she’s ever smiled so much in her life.

\----

On Monday Tyler walks into the shop to find a burst of color at her station. The daffodils and their drooping petals are gone, replaced with a light blue ball of blooms in another mason jar. Tyler touches it softly, a smile already breaking out over her face. Usually she likes the simplicity of black and white, in her tattoos and at her workstation, but she’s starting to like the color. She glances over at Mark, who takes a sip of coffee before answering her unspoken question.

“She brought it over this morning, a couple minutes after we opened. Told me to tell you it’s a hydrangea.”

Tyler gives a small nod and places her things down, before dropping herself into the chair and pulling out her phone. A quick Google search shows her that hydrangea is for gratitude of being understood, and Tyler can’t help her smile widening. All weekend she’d been thinking about Jos, her pink curls and her easy laugh. How Tyler felt like she could talk to her about anything, even though they’d only known each other a week, and how at home she felt in bloom. For the first time moving to California didn’t feel so scary, and she knew it had everything to do with the girl next door.

“So?” Tyler looks up at Mark’s questioning tone, his eyebrow raised.

“So, what?”

“So, what is going on? Daffodils last week, and hydrangea this week. Is this some girl way of flirting?”

Tyler blushes crimson at the question and shoots Mark a glare. “Because girls are the only ones who like flowers. If someone brought you some they’d go straight in the trash, right?”

He laughs. “Oh no no, don’t try and distract me by turning this into a debate on gender roles and the inherent femininity of flowers. I will not be distracted. You like her, don’t you?”

It’s only because they’re the only two there that Tyler allows herself to answer quietly, her eyes turning to glance at the flower instead of meeting Mark’s. “What’s not to like?”

“I knew it. Just go ask her out dude.” Mark looks practically giddy in having been proven right, and Tyler can’t help rolling her eyes once she catches sight of him.

“How do I even know she likes girls? Maybe I’m gonna offend her and end up losing the first friend I’ve made here.”

“Excuse me, and what am I?” Mark lays a hand over his chest, mockingly offended.

“You don’t count, we were already friends. You were built-in with the shop.”

“Regardless, no one sends flowers to people they’re _not_ interested in. Male, female or otherwise. I say go for it.”

“Thank you love doctor, I’ll take it under advisement.” Mark laughs as she rolls her eyes again, returning to her phone and hoping it’s the end of the conversation.

Still, throughout the day she can’t help looking over at the hydrangea, a small pop of blue always right out of reach. Her clients that day are chatty, and Tyler does her best to make polite conversation. It’s always the same questions: how long have you been tattooing, what’s been your favorite tattoo, what’s the weirdest request you’ve ever gotten? Her answers are already queued up, on a loop she doesn’t really have to think about anymore. They laugh, she smiles, and it’s another forgotten moment overshadowed by the buzz of the needle.

At the end of the day she cleans up her station, taking one last glance at the hydrangea, before saying a quick goodbye to the boys. Mark gives her a knowing smile and Tyler pretends not to notice, though she worries the telltale flush of her cheeks gives her away. There’s still warm light bathing the sidewalk in front of bloom, and Tyler passes the large windows to see Jos in between the rows of flowers, moving to an unheard rhythm. She smiles softly, before pushing the door open.

“Be with you in a sec!” Jos’ voice carries over her shoulder, and Tyler watches the pink curls bounce and sway along to an inaudible beat. Tyler wonders what she’s hearing.

“No worries, just stopped by to say hi.”

“Hey!” Jos turns at the familiar voice, and gives Tyler a smile. “Hi yourself. How was your Monday?”

“Long. Everyone wanted to chat with me today.”

Jos makes her way back toward the front of the shop, a frown on her face. “And that’s… bad.”

Tyler laughs at the statement that sounds like a question, and shrugs. “Sometimes.”

“But you talk with me.”

“Not with a tattoo machine in my hand.”

“Ah, got it.” Jos nods and slips behind the counter. “You’re just in time, I was about to lock up.”

“Oh, I’ll head out if you—“

“No, no, stay. I still have a few bouquets to put together for tomorrow and you can keep me company. I just don’t like leaving the door unlocked late at night.” Jos’ smile feels like sunshine on her cheeks, and Tyler can’t help but return it.

“Okay.”

Jos moves past her toward the front door, flipping the locks and calling over her shoulder again. “I usually put on some music, any requests?”

Tyler shrugs, even though Jos can’t see her, and replies. “I’m good with whatever.”

“Cool. I’m going through a bit of an IZ phase; he’s perfect flower arranging music. Have you heard of him?”

“The Hawaiian guy right? His ‘Over the Rainbow’ cover is one of the first songs I learned on the uke.”

Jos is making her way back toward her now, and Tyler can see the delighted smile on her face before she responds. “You play ukulele?”

“Um yeah.” Tyler rubs a hand over the back of her neck, already feeling her cheeks heating up. “I took a class in college. I don’t play it much any more, but I can still pretty much sight read the music for it.”

“You’ll have to play for me sometime.” Jos is already grabbing flowers as she moves around the shop, but Tyler doesn’t miss her warm smile.

“Yeah, sure.”

Tyler watches as she takes her phone from her pocket, hitting a button before soft ukulele cords fill the shop. She leans her hip against the counter again, resting her elbow on its surface so she can keep an eye on the other girl as she weaves in and out of the rows. Jos barely pauses as she moves from bunch to bunch, grabbing flowers with practiced hands and arranging the bouquet in her other fist. The first bouquet finished she makes her way back to Tyler, grabbing a length of ribbon and tying a loose bow around the bunch, before depositing it on the waiting piece of brown paper on the counter.

“So, California.” She’s already walking away again, her words following behind her.

“California.” Tyler repeats, perplexed.

“What do you think of it? Besides all the sunshine.” Tyler can hear the smile in her voice.

“It’s nice. People seem nice. The weather’s—“

“Nice?” Jos interrupts and Tyler laughs.

“Yes, the weather’s nice too. I don’t know. Doesn’t feel like home yet. I just keep missing all the places I know, instead of exploring the places I don't.”

“I know how that feels. I spent the whole first month of my freshman year dreaming of the pizza place we used to go to every Thursday night. Which only made me miss my family more, and the time feel especially unbearable. It honestly didn’t start to feel like home until I found bloom. This place felt like it had been waiting for me.”

“I can’t picture you anywhere else.”

“Thanks.” Jos catches her eyes over the flowers and gives her a warm smile. “I thought I wanted to be an accountant, can you imagine? But then I set foot in this place one day and I just… never wanted to leave.”

Even from the counter Tyler can see the love in Jos’ eyes as she glances around the small shop, and it’s breathtakingly beautiful. She watches as Jos reaches for a bloom on a broken stem, pulling it from the others so she can slide it behind her ear. Her touch is tender, reverent, and Tyler wonders what it would feel like to have those fingers pressed into her skin. If she could see the adoration left behind like the whorls of a fingerprint.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case anyone missed the updated tags, here's a quick warning that this chapter references a past sexual assault. Stay safe babes.

The next week it’s chrysanthemums.

The bright pink puffballs instantly bring a smile to her face, and Tyler’s not surprised to find out they symbolize happiness. By now the other guys have noticed the rotating flowers at her station, and Michael’s the first to call out across the shop “what do they mean” while Tyler’s still nursing a can of Red Bull. Mark seemingly decides to throw tact out the widow at this supposed declaration of love, threatening to ask Jos out for her if Tyler doesn’t “do it her damn self.” Tyler shakes her head and rolls her eyes, but she’s inwardly pleased. She can’t help imagining Jos’ hands selecting each flower, placing them lovingly in her little make-shift vase.

She’d stopped by bloom every day last week after closing, watching Jos dance around picking flowers and discussing everything under the sun. Their music tastes are surprisingly in sync, both of them recommending albums the other already owned, and singing along to shared favorites. Tyler can’t think of a time she’s smiled so much in her entire life, and it’s weird to think about having lived almost thirty years without Jos in her life. Already the girl is becoming her prime confidant, and Tyler has to keep reminding herself not to blab out her entire life story in one sitting. It doesn’t help that Jos is an open book, sharing her issues with anxiety, and her frustrations with her more “traditional” family like they’re topics as mundane as the weather.

Tyler falls asleep each night thinking about pink curls against a rainbow of color behind her eyes. She finds herself sketching flowers between clients, soft lines for delicate petals, but never capturing the same vibrancy she finds in the shop. She slips them under bloom’s door or into the old fashioned metal mailbox anyway, wondering what face Jos makes when she finds them. She’d never admit as much to Mark or the guys, but Tyler knows when she’s head over heels. Still, there’s that voice in the back of her head, the one that sounds eerily like every straight girl she’s ever accidentally crushed on, that Jos treats everyone this way. And from what she’s seen, Tyler wouldn’t be entirely surprised.

She’s neck deep in reference research, and doesn’t even register the sound of the bell above the front door. It’s not until Dan calls out her name that Tyler even remembers she’s in the shop, so caught up in layouts, and planning, and how she’s going to approach the piece. The first thing she sees upon looking up is pink hair, and Tyler’s already smiling. Jos seems out of place not surrounded by flowers, and vaguely uncomfortable at the prospect. Tyler’s out of her chair, heading to the front of the shop, and she can’t be positive, but she thinks she sees relief in Jos’ eyes once she spots her. By the time she reaches the other girl Jos has a matching smile on her face and looks visibly more at ease.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey. I wanted to talk to you about getting something done. Is now an okay time?”

Tyler practically lights up at the prospect, and she can see Dan and Mark exchanging a look out of the corner of her eye. “Yeah, totally, come on back.”

Jos follows her through the shop and back to her station, sliding into the chair without a second thought. Tyler smiles as she takes a seat on her stool. “So what are you thinking?”

“I wanted to get something done for home, so I thought I’d ask my fellow Columbus girl.” Jos’ smile could light up the entire studio, and Tyler is warmed all the way down to her toes.

“It would be my honor.” She laughs. “What did you have in mind?”

“Something simple, maybe just the state outline with a star for Columbus. I know you prefer grayscale tattoos.”

“How do you know that?” Jos gestures around the station at all the black and white artwork hanging there, before gesturing to Tyler herself, and the other girl laughs. “Okay, point taken. But this is your tattoo, if you want color we can do color.”

“No, no, I think it’ll look good in just black. Something different from my sleeve.” Tyler watches Jos rub her hand over the tattooed tree absentmindedly, as mesmerized by all the swirling colors as she was the first time she saw it.

“Who did that for you? I’ve been meaning to ask since the first time we met.” Jos meets her smile before glancing down at her forearm.

“A couple people actually. One guy did the tree, another did the galaxy up on my shoulder, and then someone filled in all the empty space. I didn’t have the most well thought out plan when I started, but it all kind of came together.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Tyler knows she’s staring, but it’s the first time she’s had an excuse to really look over the work. It’s not perfect, and it’s not delicate by any means, but it fits Jos in a way she can’t quite describe. “Anyway, it shouldn’t take more than an hour. Do you have some time this week?”

“Sure. How about Wednesday?”

Tyler spins in her chair to check her calendar, before turning back to the other girl. “Wednesday’s good. Does 2:00 work for you? I know the shop is still technically open then, but most of my later afternoon stuff is booked this week.”

“Yeah, no worries. I’ll just take a long lunch.” Jos is beaming, and Tyler can’t help mirroring her.

“Okay cool. So I’ll see you Wednesday?”

“That’s it? You don’t want a deposit or anything?”

Tyler waves her off. “Nah. I know you’re not gonna cancel. And I know where to find you if you do.”

Jos laughs. “True enough. Okay cool. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

Tyler walks her to the front of the shop, waving as she slips through the door. Once she’s gone Mark takes time from the roses he’s currently tattooing to wolf-whistle as she walks back to her station, and Tyler rewards him with a one-figured salute. The guys all chuckle and she can’t help smiling as well. Wednesday suddenly seems infinitely far away.

\- - -

At 1:55 on the dot (she hasn’t been counting down the seconds or anything) Jos closes the front door of bloom, locking it behind her. The same guy greets her at the front desk of Idle Hands, and she’s still filling out paperwork when Tyler walks her previous client to the front of the shop. She gives Jos a warm smile from behind the counter and her heart _literally_ flutters. Jos can’t remember the last time she had this big of a crush on someone, and there’s a part of her that’s honestly nervous at the prospect of her and Tyler spending an hour so closely pressed together. It’s one thing when she can hide her blushes amongst the flowers of bloom, but it’s entirely another when their faces are going to be so close Jos will have to remind herself not to get lost in those deep, dark eyes.

Her paperwork finished and Tyler’s previous client gone, they make their way back to Tyler’s station. The chrysanthemums are still there, bright and cheerful as ever, and they bring a smile to Jos’ face. There’s something about knowing Tyler’s kept them there, where she can see them, and tended to them every day. It’s like there’s a little piece of Jos with her, watching her work. But now she gets to really see her in action.

“Go ahead and have a seat, let me just clean up a little bit.”

Jos slides into the chair and watches Tyler bustle around the station, cleaning up her previous set-up and arranging a new one. She likes how meticulous the other girl is. Each item has its own specific spot, and it’s very Tyler. Already Jos knows that she likes things to be just so, to have purpose, and she knows there’s nothing in Tyler’s life that’s by accident. Jos can’t help wondering if _she_ falls into that category. When she’s all done Tyler takes a seat on the stool, sliding over until she’s in front of Jos, and bringing her hands down on her knees in a loud smack.

“So. We didn’t really talk placement when you were here, which is my mistake. Where do you want this thing?” Her smile is cheeky and Jos laughs.

She raises her arm, pointing to the unblemished skin underneath, and swears she sees Tyler gulp.   “Here.”

“As good a place as any.” Tyler nods and Jos can’t help laughing again. “Okay, here’s a couple I drew up, let me know if one of these works or you’re thinking about something totally different.”

After looking over the designs Jos picks one of the simpler ones: Ohio’s outline, shaded around the edges with a star over Columbus. At Jos’ request Tyler adds some more stars and little filler around the design until she’s satisfied, disappearing to make the stencil before returning shortly after. Jos settles back in the chair, her arm on the rest, and is surprised to find herself completely at ease. Tattoos don’t really make her nervous anymore (12+ hours on a sleeve will do that to you), but it’s not every day that they’re done by the girl you’ve been thinking about non-stop for the last few weeks. Still, there’s just something about Tyler, her quiet precision and a stillness, that makes Jos feel completely comfortable.

The machine hums to life, hovering over her skin, and Tyler meets her eyes with an excited smile. “Okay, you ready?”

Jos nods, returning her smile. “Ready.”

For the first few minutes they’re both silent, the only sound the constant buzz of the machine. Jos takes her time looking around Tyler’s station, already recognizing some work that’s no doubt hers. The rest is similar in composition or style, artists that Tyler probably admires and takes inspiration from. She even spots a picture of Tyler’s own tattoos: just her torso in frame, black tape wrapped tightly around her breasts like a bandeau, her hands and arms open toward the viewer. Like everything else it’s in black and white, the dark tattoos striking against Tyler’s pale skin. Jos can’t stop looking at it, and Tyler glances at her, noticing.

“One of the guys I worked with at my old shop, not my mentor, but the only other guy I could stand, did all my tattoos, and he took that when we were done. Said he wanted it for his portfolio, even though I thought anyone else would probably find them pretty boring.”

“They’re beautiful.” She turns her head away from the picture in time to see Tyler blush. “You said you couldn’t imagine me not in bloom, I can’t imagine you without them.”

“That’s the weird thing about tattoos, don’t you think? Once you have them, you can’t imagine a time they ever weren’t part of you. Like they were always there, right under the surface, waiting for someone to pull them up.”

“Yeah.” Jos’ reply is soft, her eyes trained on Tyler’s face. The other girl is so close she would barely have to lean forward to place a kiss on her cheek, their breaths already mingling together. A second later the moment passes.

“So what are you going to send me next week? Is there a flower for causing pain?” Tyler laughs, nodding down at the needle pressed into Jos’ skin.

“Surprisingly, no. But maybe tansies, for hostile thoughts. Which I’ll definitely be sending your way after this.” Jos grimaces to punctuate her words and Tyler laughs.

“Uh oh, friendship over, I’m guessing?”

“It’s entirely possible.” They both end up laughing, and Jos forgets all about the consistent pain burrowing its way into her skin.

By the end of the hour they’ve covered Tyler’s favorite tattoo artists, Jos’ favorite flowers, how stressful it is to own a small business, and their favorite local spots in Columbus. Jos isn’t shocked to find out that they had frequented the same coffee shop back home, had probably even passed each other at some point, though they hadn’t known at the time. It was just another way that their lives intersected, and Jos wondered how many times they’d been just outside the other’s periphery, waiting for fate to finally push them together. It was enough to make you believe in a higher power.

It was only at the end of the session that Jos remembered Tyler’s preference for quiet while tattooing, and instantly felt guilty. “I’m so sorry, I probably talked your ear off didn’t I?”

“No no, it was fine. I like talking to you, you know that.” She smiles, and Jos’ heart does that fluttering thing again.

“Yeah, but not when you’re tattooing.” Jos’ face is concerned, but Tyler seems unbothered.

“Guess you’re the exception.” Jos doesn’t know what to say, letting the blush bloom out over her cheeks and following Tyler to the front of the shop.

After settling up Tyler gives her some quick info on tattoo aftercare, following Jos’ insistence that it’s been a while since she’s done this. It’s not new information, but it prolongs their interaction just a bit more, and Jos soaks up every second. Finally she’s out of excuses to stay and allows herself to do something she’s been wanting to for weeks, despite her better judgement. Tyler’s face is surprised as she wraps her arms around her in a hug, but only a second later is following suit. Jos is careful of her sore arm but still pulls her in tightly, and is pleased when Tyler does the same. She doesn’t let herself linger as long as she’d like to, but takes her time before splitting them apart, finding Tyler’s smiling face waiting for her.

“I’ll see you around?”

Tyler nods at her question, and Jos lets herself out of the shop with a soft smile.

\- - -

On Friday Tyler stops by bloom after closing, under the pretense of checking up on Jos’ tattoo. She tries to keep her fingers light on Jos’ arm, ghosting over the healing skin that smells slightly of coconut. (Jos has apparently taken her suggestion of coconut oil to heart, and Tyler smiles to herself.) All too soon she’s releasing Jos’ arm and stepping back out of her orbit, feeling suddenly adrift in the warm, floral scent of bloom. Jos peers at her for a few moments, with an expression Tyler can’t quite place, before walking off to start her first bouquet and inviting Tyler to stay as long as she’d like. In response Tyler hops up on the counter and lets her legs swing back and forth.

“So, what exactly happened, back home?” Tyler stills at Jos’ question. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

It’s easier to answer without Jos right in front of her, with Tyler able to stare at her knees instead of into the other girl’s kind eyes. “No, I—“

She takes a deep breath before continuing, and Jos doesn’t press. “I don’t mind telling you. My therapist says it’s good to talk about things, that they don’t have as much power over you when they’re known by other people. She says it’s easier to keep yourself from twisting them into something they’re not when someone else knows the story too. I think she’s right about that.”

Jos doesn’t answer, just continues to pull flowers from vases, and Tyler appreciates the silence. “There was a guy at my old shop, Dane. He was charming and arrogant, but that kind of arrogance that’s clearly well-founded. The guy was talented and we all knew it. But he was always giving me tips, even after my apprenticeship, and it was nice. I thought he was teaching me, y’know? Like he was really taking an interest in me and my career, and wanted me to do well. He was kind of flirty, but not any more than most guys are. And I started to think of him as a friend, not just a coworker, so I asked him for advice on all kinds of things.”

“At some point he found out I was a lesbian, and things just kind of… changed. Suddenly _everything_ was flirty, or had some double entendre, and I thought it was so weird, because he knew right? He knew I wasn’t interested in him like that, that we were friends, but now he was treating me so differently. He acted like if he just said the right thing I’d walk into work one day and throw myself at him. I finally told him that one of his jokes made me really uncomfortable, and he just played it off. So I stopped talking to him about relationships or anything outside of work and tried to keep it professional.”

“Did anyone say anything to him?” Jos’ voice is quiet, lilting through the air from somewhere back in the shop.

“No. Maybe they thought I was still okay with it, or maybe they just didn’t care, I don’t know. But it just got worse. I tried to avoid him as much as I could, even changed up my hours so it would never be just the two of us in the shop but it didn’t matter. Somehow we still ended up closing one night and he just… wouldn’t be distracted. I tried to get out of there as quick as I could, but as soon as the clients cleared out he was all up in my face, telling me we should grab a drink. I told him I wasn’t interested, for the thousandth time, and then there it was. ‘You just haven’t met the right guy.’”

Tyler’s still staring at her knees, and doesn’t notice Jos slowly making her way closer to her at the counter. “He had me trapped up against my desk and before I could get away he—he stuck his hand down my pants and tried to kiss me. It was like something snapped and suddenly I wasn’t worried about being polite anymore. I kneed him in the crotch and just ran, full speed for my car.”

“Tyler.” Jos’ voice is so soft, and she knows the other girl is right at her elbow.

“I called in sick the next day. And the day after that. Spent the whole weekend in my apartment, sick to my stomach.” Tyler can feel tears in her eyes but she keeps going, she has to finish. “On Monday I walked in, expecting him to do something or say something but it was just silence. None of the guys talked to me, nothing. They never said anything to my face but I heard them in the break room a few days later. How I was a slut and a tease, and if they were Dane they’d tell Gus to fire me. I just shut off, did my work for the day and went home. I wanted to quit but I didn’t think I’d find a job in the area. Everyone knew Gus and his shop, and I just—I knew I wouldn’t get a fair shot.”

“When Mark offered me the job I just picked up and ran. Ran away from them, ran away from home, ran all the way across the country. I guess I thought if I wasn’t there anymore, if I wasn’t around anyone who would ask me about it, that I could just forget about it, pretend it never happened. But I guess I can’t.” Her voice is thick, and Tyler tries to swallow her tears.

“Tyler?” She lifts her head to see Jos standing in front of her, her eyes filled with sadness. “Can I give you a hug?”

“Yes, please.”

Jos doesn’t waste any time, surging forward to wrap her arms around the smaller girl, enveloping her. She smells like coconut oil, and fresh flowers, and _home_ , and Tyler can’t hold back her tears from falling. Jos rubs her back softly as she cries, not speaking or trying to quiet her, but just letting her get everything out. It’s not the first time Tyler’s cried about it, and she’s sure it won’t be the last, but it’s cathartic every time. For a few minutes the only sounds are Tyler’s tears, and then the soft nothings Jos whispers over and over. _It’s okay. I’m right here. You’re safe._ Tyler starts to believe the last one, and slowly but surely her tears come to an end.

Jos doesn’t let go when she’s done, just continues to hold her, and Tyler feels herself sinking into the other girl. Finally she leans back, and Jos moves to pull a piece of hair from her face, to tuck behind her ear. “You okay?”

Tyler nods and Jos steps back, removing her arms from around her. Already she misses their comforting weight. “Thank you for telling me that. I know it was really hard.”

“Thanks for listening.” Tyler gives her a small smile, and it’s dwarfed by Jos’ returning one.

“I’m glad you’re here. I know it wasn’t the best circumstances that brought you to California but I—“ Jos pauses, like she’s not sure she should continue, and Tyler watches her quietly. “I can’t imagine not having you here. This past month has been one of the best of my life.”

“Me too.” Tyler whispers, and when Jos gives her a bright smile she knows it’s the truth.

\- - -

On Monday there’s a new bunch of flowers. Tyler almost doesn’t realize they’re there, so used to a bright pop of color on her desk. The large blooms are a perfect, sparkling white, with curled petals. She turns to Mark but he shrugs and shakes his head. “She didn’t say. Just handed them to me, smiled, and left.”

Tyler searches “large white flowers” and flips through the pictures, trying to find one that matches. She’s finally determined that they’re gardenias, right as her first client of the day walks in. Her phone is dutifully slipped back into her pocket, and Tyler spends the morning glancing over at the flowers as the machine hums in her hand. Why wouldn’t Jos tell Mark what they were? Why would she have to go hunting for them? What do they mean, that Jos wouldn’t just say? She finds herself distracted into the afternoon, and when her break rolls around she practically bolts for the back room.

It turns out gardenias can mean a few different things, but as Tyler reads through the list there’s one that makes her breath catch in her throat: secret love. There’s a part of her that thinks it must be a mistake, that Jos simply sent her the wrong flowers. But she’s been so deliberate with her choices the last few weeks that Tyler knows that can’t be true. If she sent her gardenias, it’s because Jos knew exactly what they meant, and she wanted Tyler to know too. Suddenly the secrecy isn’t so surprising, and Tyler’s still staring at her phone, gob smacked, when Mark pokes his head into the room.

“So, what do they mean?” Tyler turns to look at him, her eyes unseeing, and Mark leans in further, concerned. “Woah, hey. Is it bad news?”

Tyler can’t answer, but simply turns the phone so Mark can read over the page. She watches his eyes scan over it quickly, before he raises his eyebrows, his mouth a perfect “o” of surprise. “Dude! That is the furthest from bad news.”

He enters the room fully now, stopping to punch Tyler in the shoulder lightly before sliding into a seat across from her. “Why do you look like someone ran over my cat?”

Tyler gives him an exasperated sigh at the joke, before turning to look at her phone, reading those two words over and over again. “Do you think she really means it? Maybe she meant them to convey the ‘you’re lovely’ bit.”

“Tyler. Seriously?” Mark’s looking at her like she’s the dumbest woman alive, and Tyler find herself slightly insulted. “The girl has been sending you flowers for a month. You spend all your time together outside the shop, don’t think I haven’t noticed. And she came to get a tattoo from you, which we both know is not only a huge show of trust, but a pretty intimate thing to do. You don’t seriously still think this girl isn’t in to you, do you?”

“I told her, Mark.” Her voice is quiet, and all of Mark’s bluster evaporates. “I told her about Columbus, and that I’m seeing a shrink, and that I’m a coward who literally runs away from her problems. Why would she want to take that on? She said she was glad I’m here but… that’s a lot, dude.”

“You’re not a coward, T. I wish you would stop saying that. Something terrible happened to you, and you reacted the only way you could. Leaving Columbus was the right thing to do. Seeing a shrink is the right thing to do. And believing that someone, like Jos, could love you is _the right thing to do_. You think it’s a lot but it’s not, T. Not when someone cares about you. And it’s clear that she does.” Mark reaches across the table for her hand and Tyler lets him take it, giving her a squeeze at his last words.

Tyler doesn’t know what to say, focusing instead on that fluttering feeling in her stomach that she thinks might be hope.

\- - -

The day’s almost over and Jos hasn’t heard a word from Tyler. Usually by now the other girl has texted her about something, or stopped by bloom on her way back from the café with her lunch, but it’s nothing. Silence. She can’t decide which worries her more: Tyler not being able to figure out what the flowers are and what they mean, or her knowing exactly what they mean. Maybe it was too much. It had only been a month, maybe throwing the “l word” in there, even indirectly, had been too big of a step. Too big of an admission for Tyler to handle. Sometimes it was easy to forget that not everyone wore their heart on their sleeve like Jos did.

Each time the bell over the door rang out through the shop Jos held her breath, wondering if it would be Tyler walking in. And each time it wasn’t she found herself getting more and more discouraged, convinced she’d ruined what they’d been building the last few weeks. Jos thought maybe she could survive without it, that she could get used to closing alone again, focus on her other friends a little harder, even if they never felt quite as close as Tyler had. She’d never had that moment of instant connection with anyone else, that feeling of sharing so much. But she’d lived almost thirty years without it, she probably could again.

It’s dark outside, and Jos is preparing to close, when the bell rings one more time. Jos looks up over the rows of blossoms, long past expecting to see Tyler, but there she is. She can’t help the hopeful smile that pokes at the corners of her mouth, and when Tyler catches sight of her she returns it. Jos makes her way to the counter and Tyler moves to meet her, until they’re standing only a couple feet apart, neither of them rushing to be the first one to speak.

“I got your—“ Tyler’s rubbing her hand over the back of her neck, twisting so that she doesn’t have to meet Jos’ eyes, and catches sight of the newest additions behind the counter, stopping suddenly. “You hung them up.”

Jos follows her eyes to the wall, where underneath bloom’s soft pink metal sign she’s arranged all the drawings Tyler has slipped under her door over the last few weeks, each in a white frame with its name written in the corner.

“Of course I did.” Tyler turns back to look at her with tears in her eyes, and Jos can’t help herself reaching out to put a hand on her cheek. “I wanted everyone to see them.”

“Jos, I—“ Tyler’s words are thick, and she raises a hand until it can cover Jos’.

“I know.” She whispers, bringing up her other hand so she can cup Tyler’s face, staring into those beautiful, haunting eyes. “I know.”

Tyler gives her a watery smile, and Jos brushes away the tears gathering on her cheeks. She’s not sure why fate took so long to push them together, why they had to go through pain and loss, and literally cross the country before they could find each other. All she cares about is that they’re finally here, safe and together, in the new home they’ve made for themselves. Jos slowly lowers her head, pressing her lips against Tyler’s, her heart thudding in her chest. Tyler pushes up on her tiptoes until they’re flush with each other, her arms wrapped tightly around Jos’ back, and Jos smiles against her lips.

Soft music lilts through the store, both of them wrapped in the warmth of each other’s arms, and the edges of Jos’ vision start to soften, until there’s nothing left but color.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for indulging my lovey dovey ass!!


End file.
